LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Sonic Advance
built 633 days ago
In terms of graphics and sound, Sonic Advance 3 is on par with the best that companies like Nintendo and Konami have had to offer this year. The character animation is great--each character has multiple sprite sequences and facial reactions for running, jumping, and dashing, as well as for interactions with objects like enemy projectiles and spike traps. The backgrounds are colorful and use many of the same scrolling effects that you've no doubt seen in other 2D sprite-based action games, and there are a few CPU-intensive background effects that haven't really been overdone in other games yet. The wave motion in underwater sections is particularly impressive. The music isn't as identifiable as the themes that originated in the classic Sega Genesis Sonic games, but the background tracks do fit the levels nicely--inasmuch as you can relate a tune to a physical environment like a forest, snow pack, or underwater cave. The game ... has a few voice snippets in the form of character yells and countdowns.
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Although it will seem very familiar to long-time Sonic fans, Sonic Advance is an entirely new creation that's been built from the ground up. The gameplay, graphics, and sound borrow from the classic Sonic games on the Megadrive and are successfully translated to the Game Boy Advance. The game's single-player modes are relatively short, 2-D platform rounds--each run takes two to three hours--but replay value is added through the game's various characters. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy each have different abilities that make getting through the game a different experience.
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If "Sonic Advance" has a downside, it's that the game is too easy. Experienced "Sonic" players are likely to blast through all seven acts in their first attempt, even though there are four characters with which to do so. On the other hand, the tough bonus stages must be successfully completed to earn all seven Chaos Emeralds, which allow the true ending of the game to be unlocked.
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![[ cover ]](http://retrieverimages.lycos.com/images/s/o/n/sonic-advance/i/002.jpg)
The graphics in Sonic Advance are simply delicious. The character models where completely re-created for this game and feature a lot of detail and animation. Some gamers may not care for the changes, but they certainly were made in the spirit of progress. The levels in Sonic Advance feature design elements that are both familiar and foreign to the series. The first level is a classic throwback called the Neo Green Hill Zone, a lushly fauna filled zone featuring plenty wide open straightaways just made for burning out a new pair of sonic sneakers. The Casino Paradise Zone features the popular pinball-type elements as well as gaudy design to make it look like the level in living in the excess to the extreme.
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Like Sonic Advance, playing through Sonic Advance 2 will only take a few short hours. If that was all there was to it, it would be a very poor effort indeed but thankfully there are incentives to play through time and time again with different characters. There are five playable characters in all and you get different bonuses for completing the game with each one. Completing the game with the first character will unlock the Tiny Chao Garden . Completing the game with the second character will unlock the sound test function, which is useless for deaf gamers. The third time you complete the game you'll gain access to the Boss Levels and the fourth time you'll be able to unlock Amy Rose as a playable character.
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Sonic Advance was released to the Game Boy Advance and became the first Sonic game to be released on a system not built by Sega. It is a traditional platformer and spawned many sequels. The Sonic Advance series was succeeded by Sonic Rush.
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Sonic Advance